1. Field
The following description relates to a power delivery structure between a transfer member of an ice bucket of a refrigerator and a transfer motor.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a refrigerator is a household appliance that is equipped with at least one storage compartment to store foodstuffs and a cooled air supply system to supply cooled air to the storage compartment and stores the foodstuffs in a fresh state. The refrigerator is also equipped with an icemaker that makes ice cubes for the convenience of use. Particularly, the refrigerator is also equipped with an automatic icemaker that automates a process of making ice cubes, a process of storing the made ice cubes, and a process of discharging the stored ice cubes to a dispenser.
Such an automatic icemaker includes an ice tray used to make ice cubes, an ice bucket to store the ice cubes made at the ice tray, a transfer member provided inside the ice bucket so as to transfer the ice cubes of the ice bucket, and a transfer motor to drive the transfer member. The transfer member receives a driving force from the transfer motor via a coupling device.
The coupling device includes a driven coupler coupled to a rotating shaft of the transfer member and a driving coupler coupled to a driving shaft of the transfer motor. When the transfer motor is driven with the driving and driven couplers connected to each other, the driving force of the transfer motor may be transferred to the transfer member.
Generally, the driving coupler has wings to protrude toward the driven coupler, and the driven coupler has ribs formed so as to be spaced apart in a circumferential direction. When the driving and driven couplers are connected, the wings of the driving coupler are inserted between the ribs of the driven couplers. In this state, when the driving coupler is rotated, the wings of the driving coupler come into contact with lateral portions of the ribs of the driven coupler, so that a driving force may be transmitted.
However, in a process of connecting the driving coupler and the driving coupler, the wings of the driving coupler may contact with front portions of the ribs of the driven couplers, and thus the driving coupler and the driven coupler may not be connected. The reason this phenomenon occurs is that, when the driving coupler and the driven coupler are intended to be connected, the wings of the driving coupler and the ribs of the driven coupler are located at interfering positions.
In this case, the component may be damaged due to an impact caused by the collision. The ice bucket should be demounted and then mounted again for the connection of the driving and driven couplers.